The Woman Who Wanted a Clean Nickel

I get asked all the time what some of the most aggravating things are that happen at McDonald's, and usually it happens in Drive Thru. It's like Drive Thru opens up your eyes to people and just how desperately they want their Quarter Pounder meals. One day I was both taking orders and giving change in back booth. Back booth usually what customers refer to as the first window, where you pay for your food. Usually, theirs two people back there, one taking orders and one giving change, especially when it's busy. However, when we're short staffed or when we can afford to during less busy hours, one person does both jobs, and that takes a LOT of practice. On this frightful day, that person happened to be me....of course.

So the whole point of Drive Thru is that it's fast, right? You're in and out in a matter of about two-three minutes depending on your order. I had a super good system going that day, and customers orders were taken quickly, orders were paid out on time. I was feeling pretty good, and we were meeting our targets for the hour. Im feeling good because being able to do both jobs and still beat targets says a lot to my managers, and shows how capable i am. Then the spawn of Satan comes through, and I could literally feel my high being pulverized.

First, she makes me go through every single salad in full detail, and then asks about the chicken and whether it would be better grilled or crispy and it literally takes her about five minutes to decide she doesn't want a salad, but a chicken sandwich. The guy at my window starts banging on the glass with his credit card like I don't know he's there, but I'm too preoccupied with this woman at my speaker to be able to take his card and answer her questions at the same time. Finally, she makes up her mind and I think "thank god, that was starting to go badly but it could've been worse." and trust me, it did.

Then this woman gets up to the first window and I open the window, throw my casual greeting, and wait for her to stop fumbling with her purse to give me her form of payment. At this point, I think this woman's just disorganized and inconsiderate, but this IS McDonald's and that's not out of the ordinary.

She hands me a twenty and I start grabbing her change. I hand it to her, and I could literally feel a change in the air. For a split second, it was like the universe was screaming at me to slam the window closed and run while I still could. She looks at me, and then down at the change. Then she hands me back one of the nickels I gave her without saying a word. I look at it, and I said "Ma'am, is there a problem with this nickel?"

Before I give you her reply, I'd like to inform you over the state of said nickel. It was clearly from America, so the whole "Its Canadian I can't use it!" idea wouldn't work. It's also a pretty standard nickel, no obvious blemishes or staining or anything that would turn any ORDINARY mind to think that there was a problem. So she gives me this dirty glare and goes "It's dirty."

Now I stand there for a second because I'm not sure how to respond. Then I say "Did you want a new one?" she nods, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. I closed the window to go get my manager and once I did, let's call her Sally for now, and explained the predicament, her response was "you have GOT to be kidding me." the woman gets her clean nickel and before she can protest I finally slam the window closed and walk away.

Now, there's a fair chance the woman was either OCD, or was having an extremely bad day, in which I'd feel bad trash talking her. However, she ruined my times for the day, the target for the hour and made an entire line of people behind her angry for waiting, which I also had to deal with. I haven't seen this woman come through since this incident, and thank god, because I don't know if I could handle that a second time.

Things aggravate me at work. People aggravate me. But this? Bitch please, take up your dirty nickel issues with the person who originally gave it to me. And for God's sake, ALL MONEY IS DIRTY. One nickel isn't entirely less dirty than another, and you have NO. Idea where it's been.

I guess you never really know about some people. Especially not this woman, because either way, she's crazy. That's the only answer.